The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus for authenticating a user based on biometric data obtained by imaging.
In the biometric data authentication technology for authenticating an individual by utilizing imaged data of fingers, a system has already been proposed, in which a pattern of the skin, for example, a fingerprint or the like or a blood vessel pattern is matched with the previously stored data. Moreover, even in the biometric data authentication technology for authenticating a user by utilizing a palm, a system is also known, in which a pattern of the skin such as a palm pattern or a blood vessel pattern of a palm is matched with the previously stored data. For example, a user is authenticated for an automated teller machine (ATM) installed at a bank by utilizing biometric data of a finger or a palm as explained above.
Meanwhile, in the market of the automated teller machine (ATM), each bank installs nowadays the imaging apparatus for authenticating a user having loaded only one or both of the finger and palm biometric data authentication technologies. ATM is required to be ready for use at many banks and has to provide a biometric data imaging (inputting) device for both fingerprint and palm pattern. As a result, it makes ATM more expensive and it cause ATM not to be in widespread use.
With the background as explained above, the Japanese unexamined patent application publication No. 2003-85538 which has already been filed as a related art of the present invention discloses a method utilizing a fingerprint as the biometric data as the related art of a non-contact type biometric data imaging apparatus.
Moreover, the Japanese unexamined patent application publication No. H7(1995)-21373 discloses a method utilizing blood vessels of a finger as biometric data.
Further, the Japanese unexamined patent application publication No. 2006-107401 discloses a method utilizing blood vessels of a palm as biometric data.
However, the imaging apparatuses for authentication of a user disclosed in the above patent documents respectively utilize different optical systems and imaging units. Therefore, the imaging apparatus for authentication of a user has to utilize plural input units and imaging units for embodying, for example, the plurality of biometric data authentication technologies for fingerprint and palm pattern. Accordingly, the imaging apparatus for authentication of a user has a problem that it is difficult to attain reduction in size and price.
In addition, when a user authenticating apparatus utilizes single biometric data, a result of an authentication depends on physical conditions, skin conditions, and blood pressure of a user at the time of imaging, it cause a problem that the apparatus cannot obtain a stable authentication accuracy.
Furthermore, selection of at least one image data matched with the imaged data from a large amount of data requires matching steps for each image of the image data stored previously. Therefore, in this case, a problem that a longer period is also required for the matching step is still left unsolved.